Chapter MUSSALLA to MUSSOOLA of M by The Hobson Jobson Dictionary

of a Rudder. The Boat is not strengthened with Knee-Timbers, as ours are ; the bended Planks are sowed together with Rope-Yarn of the Cocoe, and calked with Dammar (see DAMMER) (a sort of Resin taken out of the Sea), so artificially that it yields to every ambitious Surf.”—Fryer, 37.

[1677.—“Mesullas.” See MUCOA.]

1678.—“Three Englishmen drowned by upsetting of a Mussoola boat. The fourth on board saved with the help of the Muckwas” (see MUCOA). — Ft. St. Geo. Consn., Aug. 13. Notes and Exts., No. i. p. 78.

1679.—“A Mussoolee being overturned, although it was very smooth water and no surf, and one Englishman being drowned, a Dutchman being with difficulty recovered, the Boatmen were seized and put in prison, one escaping.”—Ibid. July 14. In No. ii. p. 16.

[1683.—“This Evening about seven a Clock a Mussula coming ashoar…was oversett in the Surf and all four drowned.”—Pringle, Diary, Ft. St. Geo. 1st ser. ii. 54.]

1685.—“This morning two Musoolas and two Cattamarans came off to ye Shippe.”—Hedges, Diary, Feb. 3 ; [Hak. Soc. i. 182].

1760.—“As soon as the yawls and pinnaces reached the surf they dropped their graplings, and cast off the masoolas, which immediately rowed ashore, and landed the troops.”—Orme, iii. 617.

1762.—“No European boat can land, but the natives make use of a boat of a particular construction called a Mausolo,” &c.—MS. Letter of James Rennell, April 1.

[1773.—“…the governor…sent also four Mossulas, or country boats, to accommodate him.…”—Ives, 182.]

1783.—“The want of Massoola boats (built expressly for crossing the surf) will be severely felt.”—In Life of Colebrooke, 9.

1826.—“The masuli-boats (which first word is merely a corruption of ‘muchli,’ fish) have been often described, and except that they are sewed together with coco-nut twine, instead of being fastened with nails, they very much resemble the high, deep, charcoal boats…on the Ganges.”—Heber, ed. 1844, ii. 174.

1879.—“Madras has no harbour ; nothing but a long open beach, on which the surf dashes with tremendous violence. Unlucky passengers were not landed there in the ordinary sense of the term, but were thrown violently on the shore, from springy and elastic Masulah boats, and were occasionally carried off by sharks, if the said boats chanced to be upset in the rollers.”—Saty. Review, Sept. 20.

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